(Editor's note: This is the fourth in an ongoing series on poverty in the Arkansas River Valley.)

There are a number of area residents who may not be homeless, but they are just a step above, living in unsafe or unsanitary conditions.

Bill Clark is Russellville's code enforcement officer. He responds to calls about poor living conditions and investigates to determine if structures meet code requirements. Sometimes, he has to go so far as to force the closure of apartment buildings or boarding houses that are not suitable to live in.

One apartment complex recently closed down had a number of health and sanitation issues. Clark said an upstairs tenant could flush a toilet and a stream of water would flow through the downstairs bathroom.

In addition to raw sewage under the buildings, the apartments also had a number of electrical and plumbing problems.

While that particular complex remains closed due to an absentee landlord who has not made any move to correct the problems, Clark said there have been occasions where a boarding house or other property has been closed for a few days while the landlord fixed a problem, such as a sewage backup or damaged floor, and then the property was again safe for tenants to live.

Not all problems are in landlord-owned properties, however, Clark said. He recalled one owner-occupied residence where city officials had to educate the owner about requirements to maintain water, sewer and electric services at the home. He said situations like that involved letting the resident know about the health hazards and reasons for these requirements.

"There's some education involved in some of these aspects," Clark said.

While a person may not be able to afford many creature comforts, Clark said it's part of his job to ensure each residence remains safe for those living in it.

"It's basically just making sure these people have a healthy and safe environment to live," he said. "We sure don't want to put anyone at risk."

While there are some affordable housing options, it is possible some residents in need of such services are not aware of where to seek help, or may be put on a waiting list for housing.

Joe Alpe, executive director of the Russellville Housing Authority, said average wait time for public housing assistance is from six months to a year. He said there is a lack of emergency housing available in the area.

Look for a more in-depth examination of affordable housing in a future edition of The Courier.